


Ambassador of Love and Peace

by chacusha



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Barras Lehr/Holly Whyte (background), Everyone Survives AU, F/M, Gen, Shameless Wish Fulfillment, Tiz is Sir Not Appearing In This Fic, mainly in the Bravely Default sense and only sorta in the fanfiction sense, well not everyone -- the people who died before the start of the game are probably still dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-15 12:05:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17528399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chacusha/pseuds/chacusha
Summary: A retelling of Jane Austen'sEmma, with Edea as Emma, Agnès as Harriet, and Alternis as Mr. Knightley (but still set in Luxendarc). There are some versions of Luxendarc that Airy never linked, and were thankfully spared the tragedy of the Great Chasm. This is one such world. The same tensions exist between Crystalism and Anticrystalism, but perhaps now there is more time for dialogue. Pairings are Alternis/Edea and Agnès/Tiz, but it will take a while to get there.





	1. Chapter 1

Airy, the servant of Ouroboros, linked tens of thousands of versions of Luxendarc together. However, an infinite number of Luxendarcs exist, many thankfully spared from the tragedy of the Great Chasm and Airy herself. What happens in one such world?

* * *

The vestal of wind started awake with a high-pitched shriek. She had just had a nightmare. It had been so vivid that for a moment she had thought she had actually been there, had seen the earth open, had reached out in vain to grab onto the arms of the people falling in...

The dream had started out as a flying dream, peaceful and thrilling. From high in the sky, she had hurtled down to a town which dream knowledge told her was called Norende. She touched down on the edge of a field, and for a moment took in the breeze, the smell of grass and pine. That was when a column of light appeared, swallowing the earth as it expanded. Earth, rocks, and buildings all disintegrated where the light touched. The ground beneath her feet was shifting too. She heard screams as people lost their footing and tumbled down. She reached out desperately to grab them, but she couldn't -- they were falling.

That was when Agnès woke up. She sat in bed for a while letting the panic subside. Then slowly she got out of bed and prepared herself for morning prayers. As she prayed to the crystal, though, she felt nothing amiss. The crystal's glow was warm and steady, as if it were trying to reassure her.

There were no other interruptions to her routine until the next evening. A letter arrived at the temple, addressed to her. Agnès took it with some confusion. There were not many people who would have reason to correspond with her. She broke the seal and unfolded the paper. It was a single sheet, mostly empty. "'Greetings little Agnès,'" she read aloud. "'I hope you are doing, and growing, well. Remember that it is never too late to follow your dreams.' Signed... the Sage of Yulyana." Agnès read it over several times before murmuring, "How odd to hear from the Sage after so many years. Whatever could he mean by this letter?"

That night, Agnès curled up in her bed and flipped through the pages of a book of recent maps by the light of a candle. Finally, she found what she was looking for: on a map of a part of the Caldislan continent was a town labeled Norende. She had never heard of such a town before her dream. And yet it was real. She sat in the dark room for a while longer, fingers tracing over the map, mind racing. After a while, she closed the book and blew out the candle, her mind made up.

The next morning, she placed a seal on the Wind Crystal and set out with a group of acolytes north toward Ancheim.

* * *

Edea screwed up her courage to knock clear and sharp on the door to her father's office.

"Enter!" came the booming reply.

Edea pushed the door open. Braev Lee was sitting at a large desk, light streaming in from a window behind him and lining his shape. He looked up from his paperwork and then smiled at her. "You look ready," he said.

Edea looked down at her red and white armor, the standard Sky Knights uniform, polished and neat, and smiled in response to her father's praise.

Her father continued, "Edea, before your first mission, I want to tell you something very important." He held up a finger. "First, as a foot soldier of the Knights of the Eternian Sky on your first mission, I expect you to carry out your commanding officer's orders swiftly and faithfully."

"Yes, sir!" Edea replied.

"However," Braev said, "as my daughter and -- I hope -- one day future grand marshal of the Duchy of Eternia, I also expect you to prove yourself and rise quickly in the ranks of the Sky Knights, and soon earn your own Asterisk."

Edea's chest swelled with excitement and pride at her father's high expectations. His hopes were her own. She replied, "Yes, sir!"

"You must take time to learn everything you can from your elders. That should be your main objective. That said..." The grand marshal paused, stood up from his desk and turned to the window. "The Sky Knights are... undisciplined. Not only in the lower ranks but also the officer cadre as well. If we had not tied up the Black Blades in Eisenberg, they would not be forced to command an invasion force like this. I trust Heinkel will mostly keep them in line, but I want you to be another voice of reason to add to his. Rein them in. Be my eyes and ears when you are far from Eternia."

Edea bowed. "I will, Father."

"Then I will see you later, when the _Eschalot_ casts off."

Edea later found two of the officers her father had been referring to -- Holly Whyte and Barras Lehr -- hanging out in a mess hall in the lower levels of Central Command as they waited for the time of departure. They were already tipsy with drink and were pushing shots of whiskey on a third member of their party: Alternis Dim. Edea smiled. All three of them were familiar faces -- that is, if Alternis's black helmet could be counted as a face -- in Central Command, although she had not seen them much for the past several months, as they had been doing reconaissance in Caldisla in preparation for this mission.

As Edea approached them, Alternis seemed eager to use her arrival as an opportunity to stand up and put some distance between himself and the two rowdy officers. "Are you ready for your first sortie?" Alternis asked her.

"Almost," Edea replied. "I want to get in one last sparring match with my master, and then I'll be ready."

"Hey!" Barras shouted. "On the way to Caldisla, you should join Holly and me for some training sessions, and get even stronger! You're always welcome to join us." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Well, except for the _special_ ones where Holly --"

Under the table, Holly gave Barras a sharp kick. "You idiot -- the prinshesh doesn' need to know about those ones," she said, her words slurring.

Behind her hand, Edea giggled. She leaned close to Alternis so that Holly and Barras couldn't hear and asked him, "Are those two an item?"

"I'm not sure what you would call it, but they seem to have some sort of... arrangement," the dark knight replied.

"I knew they'd would be a good match for each other. I've been trying to get them together for years, and I can't believe it finally worked!" Edea beamed. The thought had first entered her mind four years ago -- she had been visiting her mother in the Central Healing Tower and decided to stay the night. Holly and Barras had escorted her from Eternian Central Command down to the city, and Edea had told them that they could return without her. Holly hesitated momentarily at this suggestion -- probably because it would involve traveling alone at night with a young man she did not know well. (Barras, on his part, seemed to be oblivious to any potential awkwardness.) After this initial pause, though, Holly agreed to Edea's suggestion and the two headed out from the Central Healing Tower together. The mental image of Holly and Barras walking through the snow together at night struck Edea as particularly romantic, and that was when she decided she would help get them together.

"When you say 'trying to get them together'," Alternis said, "what exactly do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, small pushes here and there, arranging time for them to be alone together, dropping some hints -- that kind of thing."

"This is how you like to amuse yourself -- by playing the matchmaker?"

Edea could hear a note of judgment in his voice, but chose to ignore it. "Yes," she said, "I like helping people find love. Is there anything wrong in that?"

"I just think people are perfectly capable of finding love on their own. If it's meant to happen at all, I mean."

"'Meant to happen'? I didn't know you were a believer in destiny, Alternis," Edea teased. "Anyway, _sometimes,_ some people need a little push."

"Hm," was Alternis's noncommittal reply.

Edea turned back to the conversation that Holly and Barras were having. It seemed they were debating whether you could use an aero spell to temporarily fly.

"I'd be willing to try it," Barras said.

"You _would_ ," Holly said, "but that... is _not_... how aero spells work."

"Be creative! I want to fly!"

Alternis shook his head and sighed, while Edea laughed at how ridiculous Barras could be. Soon after, Edea bid farewell to the other three, and went off to find Master Kamiizumi. Her swordmaster was standing on a balcony near his quarters, hair blown by an icy wind.

"Master Kamiizumi," Edea said, "will you do me the honor of one final test of skill?"

He turned to her ever so slightly -- his body movements were always so economical -- and smiled. "Very well," he said. "We shall see how your swordsmanship has improved since I saw you last."

They drew swords in a training hall. Edea immediately leapt to the offensive, quick, efficient slashes and thrusts that she hoped demonstrated good form to both her teacher and the various cadets watching the match. Seeing an opening, she went for a powerful overhead cut, but Kamiizumi was quick to respond -- he parried it with his still-sheathed sword. The force of the deflection almost threw Edea off-balance, but she managed to recover by turning the extra energy into a flip and landing on her feet.

Edea charged forward again. She managed to just barely register a flash of metal as Kamiizumi unsheathed his sword at last. The duel was over in a single blow. With one cut, Edea's sword was cleaved in half and she was thrown back, landing butt-first on the cold marble.

"Ouch..." she muttered, a vague sense of dismay filling her at the thought of having already ruined her standard-issue sword.

Kamiizumi held out his hand. Edea grabbed it and he pulled her up.

"I do not know when I'll next see you again," the swordmaster said, "but I suspect you'll have grown a lot by then. I want you to have this." He held out the sword he'd been using.

The dismay Edea felt melted away as she took her master's sword reverently.

"It is called Ise-no-Kami," Kamiizumi continued. "I pray it keeps you safe."

Edea looked up at her master's eyes. His face was calm, but there was a touch of worry there. Kamiizumi had always been like a father to her, and she sensed the concern of a father in this gift and his prayer. Edea held the sword close. She too hoped it kept her safe -- it wouldn't do to worry her master. "Thank you."

An hour later, Edea strode into the airship bay, Ise-no-Kami at her side. Kamiizumi, Alternis, and her father were all already there, as well as a sizable crowd of Eternian citizens. Edea had never felt prouder than this moment.

Argent Heinkel was already on the deck of the Eschalot, while Barras Lehr was halfway up the boarding ramp and Holly Whyte and Ominas Crowe stood at its foot. Edea joined the Sky Knight officers in boarding the _Eschalot_ , and before long, the ship was unmoored and Edea was waving goodbye to the crowd as the _Eschalot_ took off into the snowy skies over Eternian Central Command.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having fun trying to think of the ways that the Great Chasm NOT opening up would change the urgency and stakes of the Duchy's actions. There are already quite a few departures in this chapter -- look forward to more!


	2. Chapter 2

The attack on the castle town of Caldisla was led by Barras's unit. Barras himself was at the front of the charge, bellowing, "Full frontal assaaauuult!" at the top of his lungs. From where Edea was, it looked like multiple arrows from archers on the wall had found their way into his arms and chest, but he didn't seem to feel any pain, and Holly was probably healing him up as he ran. Barras's fists and a battering ram made quick work of the castle gate, and soon soldiers were charging in.

Edea was part of Ominas Crowe's unit. Their orders were to go straight to the keep, avoiding skirmishes, and, once inside, to secure the throne room. Speed and minimizing casualties were key to this operation, Heinkel had told the Knights of the Eternian Sky. Edea ran through the gate and along the main streets of the castle town, and headed straight for the keep as instructed. When they arrived, Ominas blasted down the gate with spells while Holly and Heinkel protected him from archers firing down on them from within the keep. With the gate down, Heinkel was able to charge into the keep, knocking soldiers aside with his large shield.

After running through several halls, the throne room was straight ahead, only lightly guarded. A Caldislan knight lunged at Edea with his sword. She sidestepped it, turning, and brought her scabbard down hard against the elbow of the man's outstretched arm. He dropped his sword with a clatter, and in an instant Edea drew her sword and pointed it at the soldier's neck. "Don't move," she warned him.

With a quick glance to the side, she saw that the door's other guard was engaged with another Sky Knight. The door was clear, and Heinkel charged through first, with Ominas right after, hiding behind the knight's shield.

The shouts of several more guards arose from the room as they entered. Heinkel and Ominas would need more support, Edea realized. She bent down to grab the sword her opponent had dropped so that he would not be able to fight again, and quickly rushed into the room after the two officers. Ominas took down one knight with a fireball; Edea cut down another. As she engaged the next, she could see out of the corner of her eye that Heinkel was trading blows with another knight -- a tall, dark-skinned man with blond hair. He had to be the captain of the guard.

Edea's opponent had a sturdy iron shield and was good at using it. However, luckily for her, he was too slow to take advantage of her lack of a shield. She parried or dodged his occasional attacks easily, and finally managed to take advantage of a moment of unsteady footing to ram him into a wall. With that soldier down, she looked around the room. Most of the knights were lying on the ground, their armor charred. Some were completely still -- most likely dead, Edea realized with a chill.

The blond knight was still fighting Heinkel, but he was in rough shape. Blood flowed from a wound on the side of his head, and his breastplate had been pierced. The two knights clashed again, and a heavy blow from Heinkel's blade sent the other knight flying into a pillar.

"Stand down!" Heinkel ordered. "Your king will be safe. You have fought nobly to defend him."

The wounded man struggled to stand but the voice of the king from the back of the room stopped him. "Do as he says, Owen. We surrender." The king then gave the order to lay down swords, and to allow the wounded to be treated, and the command was repeated and transmitted across the keep and into the town.

Edea hoped that she would be invited to sit in on the negotiations between Heinkel and the king of Caldisla, but instead, Crowe assigned her to one of the many patrols that were tasked with walking the streets and dealing with any unrest. Edea exited the keep and wandered through town, taking in the sights that had only been in the background when she had charged to the keep. The houses here were square and made of stone. Many were built into the sides of the hill, and most had little gardens. Edea was surprised at how green the town was, and how mild its weather was. As she walked through the streets she saw some civilians walking around the edge of streets nervously, but most people were holed up in the houses.

When she was halfway down the hill, Edea came across an altercation between a patrol like her own and a young woman.

"If you didn't throw it, then who did?" one of the Sky Knights demanded. "Or are you saying it went flying on its own?"

The woman did not answer. She only looked at the knight, her expression calm and yet somehow almost defiant. Edea found it hard to tear her eyes away from the woman. Her looks were striking -- olive skin, long dark hair, and an arrestingly beautiful face. She had such a regal, unruffled air about her, that Edea wondered if she was a noblewoman, or even a princess.

At the lack of a reply, the knights closed in on her, and one grabbed her by the collar, partially lifting her off the ground.

Edea quickly stepped forward and said loudly, "Is there a problem here?"

The patrolling soldiers whirled around, and upon seeing her, exclaimed, "Lady Edea!"

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

"N-nothing, just some Caldislans threw a bucket full of... garbage at us," a soldier replied.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"N...no."

"Then move along," Edea said in her most commanding voice.

"Y-yes, sir!" The knights turned and jogged away, up the road.

Edea turned to the woman. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," the woman said, her voice cold. Behind her, Edea could see a teenage youth hiding behind a barrel. If Edea had to guess, that was the person who had thrown the bucket.

"Don't worry," Edea said. "I'll make sure that the soldiers are respectful to the people of this town, and keep the peace."

"Peace? Respect?" the dark-haired woman replied. "If you truly value these things, you should not have invaded this country at all."

This retort took Edea by surprise. She and the Sky Knights had done their best to minimize casualties and had fought chivalrously. Before the Sky Knights had been deployed in Caldisla, they had attempted to negotiate peacefully with the king to obtain his cooperation in Anticrystalist efforts. And just now, Heinkel had taken pains to spare the life of both the king of Caldisla and the captain of his guard.

Edea tried to explain all this to the woman. However, the woman's demeanor remained cold, and she responded, "I see you take pride in that fact that your invasion inflicted minimal harm. But how is that different from holding a knife to someone's throat and then priding yourself on the fact that you didn't break their skin?"

"Mrgrgr..." Edea muttered under her breath. It bothered her that the woman put so little weight on honor on the battlefield, and that she could be so ungrateful. But Edea didn't have a ready reply.

The woman interjected into the silence, "If I may ask, is the port still open? Are people free to leave Caldisla?"

Another soldier in her patrol answered, "I haven't heard anything about closing down the port."

Edea hadn't either. Earlier on their patrol, she had seen several people who she guessed were merchants and farmers who had happened to be in the castle town at a bad time quietly make their way back to their homes outside the city. "The port should be open," Edea replied.

"Thank you," the woman said with a courteous bow and began to walk down an adjoining street.

"Uh... miss?" a soldier said. "Are you headed to the docks now?"

The dark-haired woman turned and answered nervously, "Yes, am I not allowed to go there?"

"The only reason I asked was because I'm pretty sure the docks are down the hill, that way." The soldier pointed in the direction opposite to the one in which the woman had just been walking.

"O-oh? Yes, of course." She started off in the direction the soldier indicated.

Two hours of patrolling brought Edea back to the keep. Just outside the keep, Ominas and Holly were discussing something, both looking agitated. Edea walked up to them and listened to their conversation.

"She m-might not even _be_ in Caldisla," Ominas was saying.

"Still, we should keep an eye out," Holly replied. "If she's traveling around the world, that provides a perfect reason to capture her, interrogate her, and maybe even take the Wind Crystal under our control."

"Who are you talking about?" Edea asked.

"The vestal of wind," Holly replied. "Apparently, the vestal left Harena a couple of weeks ago. Destination unknown, but we have orders to capture her on sight and send her to Eternia if need be."

"You haven't s-seen anyone s-suspicious in your patrols, have you, Edea?" Ominas asked.

Edea hesitated. "No," she said finally, "no one suspicious."

Ominas and Holly resumed their discussion. Seeing that no one was watching, Edea quietly slipped back to the main road, and walked quickly down the hill.

* * *

After several hours of sitting in her cabin, Agnès went up to the deck. Caldisla was out of sight. She let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to be on her way home, back to her quiet old life, away from the chaos and stimulation of the outer world.

"You," came a voice from behind her. Agnès whipped around, surprised at the sudden break in silence.

It was the soldier girl she had encountered in the city. "Tell me," the girl said, "are you the vestal of wind?"


	3. Chapter 3

The look in the other woman's eyes was like that of a cornered rabbit -- caught between the conflicting instincts of running for her life and staying perfectly still. For a few moments, her eyes darted around the ship, as if her mind was racing to find some kind of escape. Finally, she admitted defeat -- the tension drained out of her with a long sigh. After exhaling, she squared her shoulders, looked Edea straight in the eye, and said with composed formality, "Yes, I am Agnès Oblige, Vestal of Wind."

Edea also let out a sigh of relief. She had raced to the docks and barely managed to sneak onto the ship before it left the harbor; she had trapped herself on a one-way trip going to Ancheim; and she had done this without telling Ominas Crowe or any other officer of the Sky Knights, which was tantamount to desertion -- all on the wild hunch that the woman she had met in the streets of Caldisla _might_ have been the wind vestal. Edea had made some very, very impulsive decisions in the past, but this was one of the most rash things she'd ever done. She was just glad the gamble had paid off.

"I mean you no harm," Edea said. "Although if you attack me, I _will_ defend myself." She indicated the sword at her waist.

"Attack you?" the vestal cried. "Even if I wished to, I have no weapon -- and not a single ally aboard this boat."

That seemed true enough, but Edea was still cautious. "Growing up, I was taught that vestals are witches with magic capable of bringing calamity and destruction down upon the world. Do you deny this?"

The vestal gave her a quizzical look. "If that is true, then it would be the first I've heard of it."

Edea didn't quite believe the vestal's answer, but could see that she wasn't looking for a fight at least. "All right then," Edea said, "tell me -- what business did you have in Caldisla? It's not normal for vestals to travel the world, especially not a different continent entirely. Am I wrong?"

Agnès flushed and looked out toward the waves. "I should not have come. I had a dream that something bad had happened in Caldisla. It seemed real enough that it might actually be true. But when I came, there was nothing." She continued to face out toward the sea, the wind whipping her long hair. "And now, I'm afraid I have caused a political stir of some kind. I regret ever leaving the Wind Temple."

This answer surprised Edea almost as much as the retorts Agnès had made when they had first met. Edea wasn't sure what she expected a vestal to be like -- manipulative, perhaps? Charismatic? Cold-hearted? She imagined a vestal to be the kind of person who could merely ask, and hundreds of men and women would gladly die for her. It was so different from the woman who stood before her, so pensive, unsure, and alone...

"You surprise me," Edea said.

The vestal gave her another puzzled look. "I do?"

"Not just you -- it's just -- this was my first deployment and it wasn't really... what I expected at all." Edea sighed. It was her turn to look out at the ocean, deep in thought. "To be honest, I keep thinking about what you said to me in Caldisla. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I always thought of war like I think of sparring matches with my master. It's all about winning and losing and proving oneself. It's about having the better strategy and better skill, about upholding honor and abiding by the rules of engagement." Edea leaned against the railing and put her head in her hands. "I never even considered that the stakes might be higher than that. It's a bit childish, isn't it? But I realized that without that mindset, I couldn't actually come up with a reason to invade Caldisla that made sense to me -- not even the cause of Anticrystalism."

"Anticrystalism...?"

"Oh," Edea said, turning to Agnès. "It's the doctrine of my country. It's the idea that the Crystal Orthodoxy and its teachings must be rejected, and that the power of the crystals should be harnessed and used to help people. Anyone who tries to hoard that power is corrupt and must be removed." Upon seeing the question in Agnès's eyes, Edea added, "That includes the vestals."

"I... I see," Agnès said. "This is the first I've heard of such a doctrine." She wrapped her arms around herself, deep in thought.

Edea waited for her to say something more, and when she didn't, asked, "Are you all right?"

"I... I'm torn," Agnès replied. "I should not have left the temple, that much is clear. But now that I have left, I realize there is so much going on in the world that I am ignorant about." She sighed. "Some of it even concerns me directly, and yet I wish I could go back to not knowing, to being oblivious of it all. I was so happy in the temple..."

Edea understood the feeling of having been cut off from the world, and of only just realizing the world contained so much that she did not know about. But her reaction was the opposite -- she wanted to learn more, to see the world. She wouldn't be cooped up like a caged bird in Eternia anymore. "I made up my mind," she said, "I want to learn about the outside world, about the vestals and the Crystal Orthodoxy, and then maybe I can figure out for myself what is worth fighting for. Will you help me, Agnès?"

Agnès blinked at being called her name so familiarly. After a moment, she recovered from her surprise. "Very well. But first, you must tell me your name."

* * *

That night, Edea and Agnès ate dinner with the crew and other passengers on the ship. Edea delighted in hearing where people were from -- Caldisla, Ancheim, and Florem -- and where they were going. Some of the crew entertained them by singing sea shanties. Agnès was too shy and reserved to take part in either the singing or the conversation, but she seemed to be enjoying herself all the same. Edea was glad that the vestal seemed to be more at ease now than she had been at the journey's start.

One by one, the passengers turned in to sleep, and Edea, feeling the tug of drowsiness, went to join them.

* * *

Edea and Agnès kept themselves busy the next day talking to each other or other passengers, and helping the crew with odd jobs like cooking meals and cleaning the deck. Agnès for her part was curious to know more about Anticrystalism and how it came to be. History wasn't Edea's specialty, though. She could only repeat in the broadest terms the things she had learned in school -- that the Crystal Orthodoxy was a corrupt organization filled with abusers, and how the high-up figures had hogged the power of the crystals to benefit themselves. And how Eternia had made it its mission to rid the world of Crystalism and change the relationship between people and the crystals.

Agnès was quiet at this. The thought of ridding the world of Crystalism obviously sent a chill through her heart. Even Edea had admitted yesterday that she didn't view such drastic action to be justifiable. But Agnès also had to admit that she did not have the relevant experience to deny the other general claims that were being taught in Eternia. All she could say weakly was that she did not feel she was keeping the power of the crystal to herself, that she felt that the magic of the Wind Crystal benefited all, that she prayed for the health and well-being of all in Harena and the world.

Edea was interested in the opposite -- in hearing about Crystalism. She asked the other passengers whether they were Crystalist. The answers varied widely: many identified as Crystalist but admitted they didn't practice it in any way. Some said it was something that older people they knew took seriously but they didn't -- a woman from Florem even said it was passé and that she wouldn't dream of raising her children to be Crystalist. Several from Ancheim were pretty devout, though, and one sailor originally from Eisenberg said it was central to his life. It was so different from Eternia where no one identified as Crystalist -- at least not openly. Burning with curiosity, Edea tried to soak up everything she heard, making notes of places she wanted to visit.

The conversations with the other passengers seemed to have the effect of getting Agnès to open up a little. That night when they were singing and dancing, Edea noticed the otherwise reserved wind vestal clapping to the beat.

The ship arrived at the port near Ancheim just after sundown on the third day. Most of the passengers were up on the deck watching the shore approach, Edea and Agnès among them. As the boat drew closer to land, though, Edea was able to discern the hulking silhouette of a large airship docked in the harbor. By its size, tall shape, and dark color, it could only be the heavy cruiser, the _Dark Knight_.

"Uh oh," Edea muttered, as she remembered her desertion from the Knights of the Eternian Sky. "We may be in for some trouble. Me, especially."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did some last-minute content-adding to this chapter. I, uh, don't actually know how much Edea canonically knows about Eternian history but I remember most of it being a surprise to her, so I decided to go with "not much."


	4. Chapter 4

As Edea and Agnès stood in the queue of people climbing down off the boat, Edea turned to the other woman and said, "Remember what I said earlier, 'I mean you no harm'? I meant what I said -- I swear I will protect you, as far as I am able."

Edea had meant this to be reassuring, but -- understandably -- this pronouncement had the effect of making the wind vestal more worried. "Just who is it that you expect to meet?" Agnès asked her nervously.

It wasn't the _person_ that Edea was worried about, but before she could explain, the answer to the wind vestal's question approached the foot of the boarding ramp: Alternis Dim. As she stepped off the ramp, the dark knight stepped forward and greeted her. "Edea! You are all right! Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine," Edea answered.

"When you suddenly disappeared in Caldisla, we assumed the worst. Heinkel was at a complete loss about what to tell the Grand Marshal in his report --" Alternis looked over Edea's shoulder and caught sight of Agnès. "You!" he said, stepping toward her, pushing Edea behind him. "I should have realized who you were earlier. No matter -- I will take you into custody here, Wind Vestal." Alternis drew his sword, the red blade Darkbringer. Agnès's eyes widened and she took an uncertain step backward, reminding Edea again of a rabbit.

"No!" Edea shouted, running forward so that she was between Alternis and the vestal, and drawing her own sword. "The wind vestal is under my protection. If you want to capture her, you'll have to go through me."

"Have you lost your mind, Edea?!"

"I'm perfectly sane," Edea said seriously. "I've already interrogated the vestal on her reasons for being in Caldisla, and have found them harmless. She intends to go back to the Wind Temple in peace, and I intend to escort her there."

"But--!"

"Those were our orders, weren't they? Take the vestal into custody, interrogate her, and if necessary, send her to Eternia? I have done that, and made the decision that she should be returned to the Wind Temple." Edea tried as best she could to copy the way her father spoke -- decisive, authoritative, brooking no disagreement.

There was a tense silence. Then the dark knight relaxed his stance. "You know you do not have the authority to make that decision," he said as he sheathed this sword. "And if you were anyone else, you would be court-martialed for your actions. But very well."

Edea let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Alternis."

"What should I tell Heinkel? Do you intend to rejoin the Sky Knights?"

Edea looked down in embarrassment. "I want to stay in Harena a little longer. Will you explain things to Father and Heinkel?"

Alternis sighed. "I will do my best."

"Thank you."

"I'll escort you and the wind vestal to Ancheim. The king has ordered the vestal be brought to him once she has returned to Harena."

"I see," Agnès said. "I will go to see him, then."

Edea, Agnès, and Alternis, along with several other passengers from the ship, started on the lengthy trek from Ancheim's port to the main city. The fact that it was night made the journey much more pleasant than it would have been in the day. The sands were still warm, but already the air was beginning to cool down. Agnès and Edea walked far enough ahead of the others to have a little privacy.

"Who is that armored man?" Agnès asked Edea. "The two of you seemed to be familiar."

"That's Alternis Dim," Edea said as she walked up the side of a sand dune." He's a member of the Council of Six, Eternia's highest governing body. He and I grew up together. I've known him ever since I was four or five years old."

"I see." Agnès was quiet for a moment before asking, "Can you tell me why it is that Eternia has ordered my capture?"

"Well, there are many reasons why they'd want to," Edea replied, unsure of the answer herself. She had some vague ideas, though. "But I think mainly it's that the Duchy hopes to gain control of the world's four crystals. If a vestal were found to be plotting something sinister, or to have abandoned her crystal, that would give Eternia cause to assume control of the crystal. I think that's why people were excited to discover that you had made the move of leaving the Wind Temple."

"I... I see. I never dreamed that my actions would have such consequences." Agnès looked forward across the rolling sands. "It is strange that the temple that I think of as a home is also in a way a prison too."

"What do you mean?"

"It is as you said -- if I leave the continent, the Duchy of Eternia will use that as a pretense to seize the Wind Crystal."

"Not if I have any say in the matter. If you want to travel, I'll safeguard your passage."

Agnès gave her a curious look. "...Thank you, I will consider taking you up on that offer. But for now, I _would_ very much like to return to the temple." Up ahead loomed the cliffs that surrounded Ancheim. Agnès turned to Edea and said, "One final question: who are you, Edea? Earlier, that man said, 'if you were anyone else'... and just now you promised to intervene on my behalf in the Duchy's actions..."

Edea laughed awkwardly. "Oh, um, well, my father is the Grand Marshal of the Duchy of Eternia. He's the head of the armed forces and a member of the Council of Six. Even though I'm just a soldier right now, I guess you could say I have some high-up connections. Uh, not that I like using them or anything," Edea added quickly. Her teenage years had been filled with enough veiled accusations of nepotism that Edea by instinct found it awkward to mention her father in conversation.

Another hour of trekking across the sand brought them at last to the outer gates of Ancheim. Edea thought that the late hour would mean that they'd have to wait until tomorrow to talk to the king, but they were informed by the palace guards that the king was still open to receiving visitors and that they should enter.

Edea marveled at the interior of the palace. It was a modern building, with thick red carpet, spinning silver gears set within pillars, and blue moonlight streaming through glass windows.

The king was sitting on the throne when Edea, Agnès, and Alternis entered. He wore all black with a large brass cog circling his head -- an odd choice of neck- and headwear, but smart and fashionable in a way.

Agnès stepped toward him and bowed. "You wished to speak to me, Your Majesty?"

"Wind Vestal," the king said, tenting his hands. "I see that you are back in Harena safely. We were so worried when we heard you had left the temple without telling anyone where you'd gone."

"I'm sorry to have neglected my duties to the crystal --"

"The crystal and your prayers are of no concern to me," the king interrupted. "But what would I have told the people of Ancheim, if something had befallen you? Next time, you must notify me, vestal, and I will send an escort to accompany you."

"As a vestal, I have acolytes to escort me," Agnès replied.

There was a long silence, during which Edea ruminated on the fact that she hadn't seen any sign of the acolytes that Agnès spoke of. Agnès finally broke the silence by asking, "Is that all you wished to ask me, Your Majesty?"

The king huffed in annoyance at this question as if to say, "Of course not." "Tell me, what was the purpose of your trip? Where did you go and why?"

"I was taking care of a personal matter," Agnès replied.

"A personal matter?" the king asked. "Visiting friends or family, were you? ...Do vestals have such things?"

Agnès didn't reply. After another long silence, the king waved his hand dismissively. "Very well, if you do not wish to tell me, then that is all."

Agnès bowed and took her leave, with Edea and Alternis trailing after her.

Edea fell in beside Agnès and asked her, "Do you and the king have... bad blood?" The combination of the king's rude, almost resentful tone and Agnès's caginess seemed oddly tense, even though Edea at least partly understood why Agnès had declined to elaborate on her answers.

"Hm? No, not at all," Agnès said. "I have only seen King Khamer on special occasions, like festivals. I don't believe we have ever spoken before today."

After they had exited the castle, Alternis took his leave, saying he had work to return to. Edea thought she and Agnès would head out from the city toward the Wind Temple so that they could travel by night and avoid the desert heat, but Agnès suggested they should rest instead since it was getting late. After asking for and receiving directions several times to an inn called the Sand Scorpion, Agnès finally arrived at the inn, talked to the innkeep, knocked softly on the door to one of the rooms, talked with its occupants, and then talked to the innkeep again, who gave her and Edea a room.

"We can head out early tomorrow. It is a long walk -- on foot, it will take most of the day," Agnès said as she leaned to turn off the electric lamps. No sooner had she turned them off and plunged the room in soft darkness, Edea found herself snoring peacefully into her pillow.

* * *

The next morning, Agnès introduced Edea to two women who had also been staying at the inn, two of her acolytes who wore plain black dresses with white collars and wimples. Edea introduced herself simply as a friend Agnès had met in Caldisla, who wanted to see more of Harena and the world -- they both agreed it was best to leave out the complications of Edea being a Sky Knight of Eternia and the daughter of the Grand Marshal.

At Agnès's request, the four of them headed to a shop to buy supplies they would need for the trip -- a hood for Edea to protect her face and neck from the sun, as well as plenty of water. Along the way, however, they passed near the palace and Edea was stopped by a guard.

"You there, you were with the wind vestal last night? The king would like to speak with you."

Edea looked at Agnès and then back at the guard. "Huh? Me?"

The guard nodded.

Edea and Agnès exchanged a confused glance. "I guess I'll go talk to him then."

"Are you sure?" Agnès asked.

"Yep!" Edea replied cheerily. "Why don't you guys take care of the supplies and we'll meet up after?"

Agnès agreed to do so, and Edea followed the guard to the throne room of the royal palace.

King Khamer greeted her with the statement, "It has come to my attention that you are Edea Lee, daughter of the Grand Marshal of the Duchy of Eternia, Braev Lee."

Edea was caught off-guard, not having expected that information to come out so soon. As she struggled to come up with a response, the king continued, "You should have introduced yourself to me last night! And I should introduce myself properly as well -- I am Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII, King of Ancheim. Tell me, how are you enjoying this city?"

Edea had to admit that Ancheim was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The desert landscape was the complete opposite of Eternia, and while Eternia was also a technologically advanced country, she had never seen machinery quite like that in Ancheim -- most of all, the giant windmill and clock that could be seen from the whole city.

"Ah yes," Khamer replied, "Ancheim is a city of modern machinery, modern amenities, and modern minds. We are building the city of tomorrow here, by dedicating ourselves to continual progress. Modernizing Ancheim has been my life's work. My only regret is that I have perhaps thrown myself too much into this project, and have no heir at my age. No wife even!" He shook his head. "But enough of that. Tell me, Lady Edea, what do you think of the wind vestal? Your father the grand marshal is staunchly Anticrystalist, is he not?"

Edea nodded. "He is, but I want to see the world and make that decision for myself. I'm withholding judgment on the vestal as well," she answered, "although... from what I've seen of her, the wind vestal strikes me as someone who has a strong sense of morality and duty."

The king took a few moments to consider her reply. Finally, he said, "Indeed, the vestal has many positive qualities. It is more what she represents that I take issue with. The Crystal Orthodoxy and the vestals are a symbol of the past -- they cling to traditions and the old ways, and in so doing, encourage others to do the same. The vestal in particular has more sway over people than I think she even realizes. Even though she visits Ancheim so rarely, when she does visit, she captivates the people, ensnares their hearts."

This was, in a way, the standard Anticrystalist picture of the Crystal Orthodoxy and the vestals that Edea had grown up with. And yet, she also sensed an unusual undertone to it -- the resentful, almost jealous, tone she had heard last night.

"Anyway," King Khamer continued, "I am curious what decision you will make in the end. You are of course welcome in Ancheim, and I encourage you to see all that this city has to offer."

With that, Edea left. By the time she met up with Agnès and her acolytes who had bought all the supplies they needed for their trek to the Wind Temple, Edea's mind was filled with suspicions. The first was that Alternis had told the king about her -- he was the only person in Harena who would have known who she was other than Agnès. Edea made a mental note to have a word with him later. The second was that the king had been either knowingly or subconsciously hinting at something throughout the conversation. The brief mention of marriage, the immediate turn of the conversation toward the topic of Agnès, the way he had described the effect she had on people...

_Could it be?_ Edea thought to herself. _The king of Ancheim, in love with the vestal?_


	5. Chapter 5

With scarves or wimples covering their heads, Edea, Agnès, and the acolytes headed out from Ancheim across the desert. The morning air was cool, and the trek was easy. They stopped briefly for a lunch of bread and fig jam before continuing onward. By the afternoon, though, Edea was starting to feel the heat and sun.

"Traveling in the day through the desert can be hard," Agnès explained to her as they walked, "but it's safer. Most of the fauna is resting and sleeping during the day." To Edea's relief, however, a few hours after lunch, the group found a grove of rocks and shady trees and sat down to rest.

"I bought some sweet cakes in town," one acolyte said, reaching into her bag. "Edea, do you like sweets?"

Edea shot up from lying on the rocks. "Do I!" she said. Her mouth was already salivating at the thought of sampling the sweet foods of Harena.

The acolyte handed her a cake. It was an eggy bun filled with cream and covered in powdered sugar. "Mm-mmm, this is so good," Edea said through a mouth full of food.

The group finished their cakes and sat in the shade drinking water and fanning themselves.

"Hey, Agnès," Edea said, "have you ever been in love?"

"Wh-what?" Agnès looked embarrassed to be even asked the question. "You realize that vestals are married to their crystals. The role requires complete devotion to the crystal. Any worldly attachment other than that is... a distraction."

Edea blinked in surprise. "Wow, really?" She supposed that made sense, but she wouldn't have expected the role of vestal to be so strictly celibate.

"Although," Agnès said in a small voice, almost too quiet to be heard, "historically speaking, there have been vestals who were rumored to have taken on... paramours." The vestal stumbled over the last word, a blush forming on her face.

"Scandalous!" Edea whispered playfully. To her surprise -- and delight -- Agnès also giggled. "But," Edea straightened, "are you telling me you've never been in love or you're just not _supposed_ to be in love?"

"I..." Agnès paused for a moment, as if she had not considered those to be two different things. "I suppose both. As a vestal, I must prioritize my duties, and so I have not had the opportunity to develop such attachments..."

Having rested themselves long enough, the group continued on toward the Wind Temple. Agnès's answer was revealing, though. A picture was beginning to form in Edea's mind about the conflicted psychology of the king of Ancheim -- a man who despised the Crystal Orthodoxy and its traditionalism, but who had nevertheless become enamored with the vestal herself on her occasional appearances in Ancheim. The traditionalism of the Crystal Orthodoxy was his enemy twice over -- the thing that held back his plans for his country and that kept the vestal so out of reach. To add to that, everything Edea had observed about the king's behavior made her suspect that he was poor at dealing with or expressing these feelings -- the result was that his interactions with the vestal tended to have an air of resentment and confrontation.

This would not do, Edea decided. It looked like the king would need a bit of a helping hand. It would be challenging -- the trip from Ancheim to the Wind Temple was a non-trivial one, as Edea was now discovering. And Agnès was not about to seriously consider the possibility of any kind of romantic involvement. Still, the more she considered the idea of the king and Agnès, the more appealing it was. They were two of the most pre-eminent figures in the continent of Harena, and their joining would have powerful symbolism... Such a joining was sure to bring happiness to the people of this land.

* * *

They arrived at the Wind Temple as the sun was setting. A couple of acolytes came out to meet them and take their bags, while another pair set out to draw baths for the travelers.

"How is the crystal?" Agnès asked.

"It is well, Lady Vestal," an acolyte replied. "No change."

After being bathed, Agnès emerged into the main hall of the temple wearing the garb of a vestal -- a short white dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves and long black gloves and boots. With her long hair brushed to shining, the wind vestal was a stunning sight. Edea was reminded of her first impression of Agnès -- at the time, she would not have been surprised if Agnès had turned out to be a princess. There was something eye-catching about her, and yet the vestal seemed to be utterly unaware of her own magnetism.

With Agnès's permission, Edea entered the altar room with the other acolytes and watched as the vestal dispelled the barrier surrounding the crystal. The sight of the crystal's scintillating green light reflecting off the walls of the large chamber was a familiar one to Edea. She had gone to see the Earth Crystal as a child, although the Earth Crystal's light was yellow. Agnès and the acolytes lining the room spent a few minutes in quiet prayer to it. When Agnès stood up from the altar, the women filed out of the crystal chamber and to the dining hall, where other acolytes had prepared a dinner.

Edea took a look around the temple. The walls of the temple were stone that largely kept out heat and kept the air of the temple cool. Since it was night, the halls were dark, lit infrequently by torches. Over dinner, Agnès explained to Edea the routine of the temple -- the meal times, the prayer times, the bedtimes, the many tasks of the acolytes including gardening, cleaning, cooking, traveling to town, maintaining the temple library, including the copying and translating of texts, and so on.

"Our lifestyle is a modest one. We work to produce most of the things we need, and enough extra to trade for that which we are unable to make ourselves. With the number of acolytes who live in the temple, we can divide the work in a way that is manageable for all. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. We almost always have several extra beds for visitors, if you don't mind sharing a room."

"Do you get many visitors?" Edea asked.

"Oh, no. The occasional pilgrim coming to offer prayers to the Wind Crystal, from time-to-time, or a scholar from Al-Khampis doing some research."

"And how often do you go to Ancheim?"

"Usually just once a year, for the Festival of the Winds. Oh, and the Reunion Festival, every four years."

"What about your acolytes? How often do they visit Ancheim?"

"Usually once or twice a month, depending on if we need anything."

Edea considered this information, and then asked, "If I have a letter to deliver to Ancheim, do you think your acolytes could take it with them the next time they go into town?"

"Of course," Agnès replied.

Edea smiled, her mind occupied with the task of fleshing out a scheme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my fic, where all travel distances/rates/times are made up, and Luxendarc is... probably very small all things considered.


	6. Chapter 6

The valkyrie met Alternis in the Florem Gardens.

"It's not often you reach out to contact me directly, Dark Knight," Einheria said, crossing her arms. "So what is so important that you wanted to see me?"

"It is nothing important," Alternis admitted. "Only... have you already heard how Edea's first sortie went?"

"I heard the basics," Einheria said. "The wind vestal showed up during the invasion, and Edea ran off with her and is staying in Harena currently. Is that right?"

"More or less," Alternis answered. "What do you make of such behavior?"

"What _I_ think is unimportant. Tell me, what does the grand marshal think of such behavior?"

Alternis recalled the grand marshal's wordless fury when he had been given the news of Edea's disobedience. "The grand marshal was... angry, at first. Or rather, I believe he was disappointed that Edea had proven to be such a poor soldier in her first assignment." At first, the grand marshal had ordered Edea to be put on the next airship and immediately returned to Caldisla and disciplined by Heinkel for acting out of order, but Alternis had attempted to make a case for why she should be allowed to stay in Harena and keep a close eye on the wind vestal's doings. Eventually, the grand marshal relented and admitted that, with the situation being what it was, it was wiser to let Edea remain where she was. "But I think he has made peace with the fact that his daughter was always too stubborn and headstrong to make a good soldier."

Einheria smirked. "They are certainly two peas from the same pod," she said. "And? Does he intend to let Edea run free, then?"

"Indeed. It seems the Lord Marshal believes that she will be able to spread Anticrystalism and bring the crystals under our control in her own way, even if her methods are unconventional. It may even be better this way, considering what happened with the, erm..." Alternis trailed off awkwardly.

"Water vestal?" Einheria finished the sentence for him. She must have keenly felt the pressure that she was under, having so far failed to find and apprehend the water vestal. Einheria had initially deployed in Florem hoping for a quick mission, and now her hunt was in its fourth year. Still, given what had happened to the earth and fire vestals, the situation with the water vestal was promising in comparison. Though the invasion of Florem had so far been extremely drawn out, it was nowhere near as bloody as what was happening in Eisenberg, and there was something to be said about DeRosa's cautious style.

"Befriending the vestal first certainly would have saved me the last four years," the valkyrie said. "If Edea manages to pull it off, we may have the Wind Temple and the cooperation of the wind vestal before the water. And I must say, I think some female companionship is very good for Edea! But it seems you are troubled. Do you suspect that the vestal has put her under some spell?"

Alternis considered the question before answering. The thought had crossed his mind, but... "No, she seems to be in a normal state of mind. I just question the wisdom of this... friendship." He hesitated to even call it that. With the Duchy of Eternia waging what amounted to war on so many fronts with adherents of Crystalism, to speak of "friendship" seemed jarring. "Aside from the fact that there are already multiple plans in action in Harena and we risk complicating them, I am worried about Edea..."

"You worry that she will be influenced by the vestal and turn against the Duchy?"

Alternis nodded. "You know as well as I that Edea has lived a sheltered life, and her view of the world reflects that -- everything is pure 'white' or pure 'black' to her. Her immaturity and romanticism makes her easy to manipulate."

Einheria's eyebrow rose. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it? Edea is young and idealistic, I agree, but I trust her sense of justice. It will not lead her astray."

"I... am less sure," Alternis replied. "The wind vestal is popular and inoffensive -- and moreover, sheltered from the world, much like Edea. How can you be certain that Edea's sense of justice will not cut against us? Our hands are not clean."

"That may be so," Einheria said finally, "but at the end of the day, I believe in our mission, and I trust Edea will make the right choice."

"You know her better than I, so I will defer to your judgment," Alternis said, although he did not sound altogether reassured.

The valkyrie smirked. "That girl has caused you no end of grief over the years. If I could be spared from Florem, I would talk to her in person. But I think you do not have anything to worry about -- Edea has a good head on her shoulders."

"We shall see." With a bow, the dark knight thanked her for her insights and took his leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first "arc" of this fic will (more or less) follow _Emma_ chapter by chapter (it will depart a lot more later). So I was pleased how well a chapter featuring a conversation between Mr. Knightley and Mrs. Weston in the original _Emma_ mirrored a conversation between Alternis and Einheria in the original _Bravely Default_. I had fun playing with that here.


	7. Chapter 7

Edea's efforts didn't pay off for several weeks. She mostly kept herself busy by doing chores around the temple and gossiping with the acolytes, but she had to admit she was getting impatient at the lack of news and was wondering idly if she should leave Harena after the third week had gone by. But her efforts did eventually pay off: she was sweeping the courtyard one morning, when one of the acolytes pointed toward the north, asking, "What's that?" The acolyte's question caused others to look up from their work. Edea squinted her eyes. It looked like a cloud of dust on the horizon.

"A sandstorm?" one acolyte wondered, as another one moved to shut the temple's outer windows.

"I don't think so," replied another who had stood up from weeding the temple's garden to also peer at the horizon. "Way too small. It just looks like something kicking up a bunch of sand."

Some of the acolytes lost interest and went back to working. Edea kept her eyes fixed on the swirl of sand, alert, hoping it was what she thought it was... Whatever it was, it was close and rapidly drawing closer. Within less than a minute, the several acolytes still peering into the distance were able to see that it was a large machine flying across the desert, creating a cloud of sand behind it as it moved. A minute more and they could hear the mechanical hum coming from the machine. An acolyte ran into the temple to alert Agnès of the vessel's approach.

Edea watched as the vehicle came to a gradual stop in front of the temple, its motor still buzzing loudly. It was large, big enough to seat four or five people, made of metal painted black, with all sorts of machinery attached to the cockpit. The pilot flipped several switches, and the buzzing subsided and the various turbines located at the back of the vessel gradually started to slow. Agnès, dressed in the habit of the temple, fell in beside Edea just as the pilot hopped down from the side of the ship, brushing sand off the front of his grey -- or possibly originally black -- doublet.

"Who -- what --" Agnès seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Wind vestal," the pilot greeted. He removed a pair of thick goggles and acknowledged Edea with a nod and a polite, "Lady Edea."

Agnès's eyes widened as she recognized who their guest was. "King Khamer?! What are you...?"

The king chuckled quietly before throwing out his hands dramatically. "Behold!" he cried, as if to an audience ten times the size that was now gathered. "My newest invention: the Sand Sprinter 5000! Capable of traversing smoothly across sand and any other difficult terrain, it cuts the travel time from Ancheim to the Wind Temple from nearly a full day to" -- he produced a stopwatch from one of his side pockets and read its hands -- "a mere fifty-seven minutes and twenty-six seconds!"

He was met with a cautious and confused silence. Seeing no response, Khamer cleared his throat and tried again: "Just think how convenient it would be for all now that the trip between Ancheim and the Wind Temple can be completed in under an hour, and in complete comfort! Is it not the case that the acolytes of this temple regularly undertake an eight-hour journey in the hot sun just to obtain necessities from Ancheim? What toil! With modern technology, it is possible to make all the work needed in one's daily life quicker and so much more comfortable."

At this a murmur arose from the women gathered. Some were intrigued and curious; others were still cautious. The most decided response came from the vestal, however.

"Unacceptable."

The word rung throughout the temple's courtyard, met immediately by a strangled noise of shock and disbelief from the king.

Agnès continued, "I appreciate Your Majesty's thoughtfulness in trying to make the life of the acolytes here easier. However, the remoteness of the Wind Temple is what gives it its peace and tranquility. We do not want frequent or casual visitors from Ancheim, nor would it be desirable for us to make frequent trips there."

Some of the acolytes -- no doubt many of the ones who had traveled to Ancheim on foot -- seemed disappointed at their vestal's decision; others nodded in agreement; but King Khamer seemed mortified at the vestal's blunt answer. Edea moved quickly to intervene. "Agnès," she said, "can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Tugging gently on the sleeve of Agnès's habit, Edea stepped through the doorway of the temple for some privacy. "I understand you don't like technology," Edea began.

"I am fine with technology," Agnès protested. "It is distractions to the activities of the temple that I do not like."

"Fine, I understand you don't like _distractions,"_ Edea corrected, "but please consider the poor man's feelings."

"Feelings?" Agnès gave her a quizzical look.

"A week ago, I wrote to King Khamer talking about how long the trip from the Wind Temple to Ancheim was, and how a fast mode of transport would allow him to see _certain_ members of the temple more regularly than festivals that happen once a year, and a week later, he comes here -- in person, no less -- with a solution." Seeing confusion still written over Agnès's face, Edea continued, "What I'm saying is, I merely suggested a way he might see you more often and he practically jumped at the opportunity. Don't you see? The man has _feelings_ for you."

Color immediately rose in the vestal's cheeks. "He...? But that... that's impossible..."

The surprise at this revelation confirmed Edea's suspicions -- Agnès was utterly oblivious to the power of her own charms. Edea went on, "It would be easy for him to take what you said just now as a rejection, and a pretty harsh one at that. I know you've got your vows of celibacy and all that -- but I just didn't want you doing it without realizing what it was."

"Vestals pledge devotion to the crystal. It is different from a vow of celibacy," Agnès corrected. That was more promising than Edea had expected. "But," the vestal continued, "my answer is the same. I must decline his offer -- with sensitivity, of course." She looked down at her hands, fingers pinching and folding the dark fabric of her habit absent-mindedly. When she looked up again, her eyes were beseeching. "What do I do, Edea? What do I say? I've never had to deal with this before."

"Hm..." Edea said. "Normally, I'd say the direct approach is best, but the man hasn't actually made any kind of declaration of love yet. Trying to address it head-on isn't an option."

"I see," Agnès said, nodding.

"In that case, you could try a subtle approach. Drop the fact you're not looking for love into the conversation subtly, like, 'Too bad I can't marry anyone because I'm already married to the crystal!'" _Although,_ Edea thought to herself, _Khamer might interpret that as some kind of encouragement._

Agnès chuckled at the suggestion. "But how should I answer the king now? I do not want to be overly harsh..."

Edea furrowed her brow in thought. "Would using his... Sand... runner... thing really be such a disruption to the temple? Couldn't your acolytes just use it once every few weeks to go to Ancheim like normal? Just because it takes less time to get to Ancheim doesn't mean you have to accept visitors more often..."

"I suppose that is true..." Agnès said. After a bit more discussion, the vestal resolved to accept the hovercraft and to find some subtle way to dispel Khamer's interest at some later time. She and Edea went back outside and the vestal talked to the king, thanking him again for his kindness and arranging for it to be used to aid the acolytes in picking up supplies from Ancheim. Visits were to be short and unobtrusive, involving as few visitors as possible. It would be permissible to transport visiting pilgrims to and from the temple, but only if the journey would be too harsh on their body for them to make it without help.

This Khamer eagerly agreed to, his ego recovering quickly from its earlier deflation. Promising to return in a week's time to transport acolytes to Ancheim and asking them to excuse his intrusion upon the temple's activities, the king donned his goggles again, powered up the machine, and soon disappeared across the sands.


	8. Chapter 8

Khamer's hovercraft showed up in the afternoon one week later, not yet the hottest point of the day, but a time when the day was beginning to get quiet and lazy after having the midday meal that followed the second prayer of the day. Again the man had come by himself, something Edea had expected but nevertheless found a bit strange. Did he not have bodyguards? And a country to run? She supposed it wasn't too odd, though, that the monarch of a nation might be more interested in his hobbies and leave most of the governing to the prime minister.

After the hovercraft slowed to a stop, Khamer cut the engine, letting the hovercraft slowly lower itself onto the sand. Having exchanged some initial greetings and pleasantries, he inquired who he was transporting to the city. A pair of acolytes who had drawn supply-fetching duties this week stepped forward.

"Why don't you also go, Agnès?" Edea suggested.

Agnès whipped her head around to give Edea a look, equal parts sternness and terror. "E-Edea!"

"If you go, I'll come with you," Edea reassured her.

This had the effect of putting Agnès more at ease, although she still hesitated. "I have my prayers..."

Edea smiled. She had been living in the Temple of Wind long enough to be familiar with its schedule and doings. "The next prayer is at dusk," Edea countered. "We can go to Ancheim and back before then, easily. This isn't going to be a whole day trip, remember?" As a rule, Agnès did not participate in trips to Ancheim outside of special occasions because it would require missing at least two days of prayers. But that was no longer a constraint. "It'll be a fun afternoon outing!"

"Indeed," said the Timekeeper King -- as some of his people, including some of the temple acolytes, called him. "If getting back to the temple before dusk is a matter of punctuality, I, Eloch Quentis Khamer VIII, will not fail you!"

Looking from the eager face Khamer to that of Edea, Agnès relented. The king, the vestal, the two acolytes, and Edea climbed up into the seats of the vehicle: Khamer in the pilot seat, toggling a variety of switches, Agnès in the co-pilot seat, and the other three packed into the back seat. They took out goggles from several pouches built into the machine to keep sand and wind out of their eyes and then they were off.

The two acolytes were giddy -- excited that they were the first in the temple to ride this odd contraption. And it moved so fast! Occasionally it made loud sputtering noises that caused the residents of the temple to cringe in unison -- but the trip to Ancheim went smoothly. For her part, Agnès was quiet and withdrawn, looking at the sands and letting the wind whip her long hair dramatically.

As soon as they arrived in Ancheim, the acolytes went to the market to stock up on various medical supplies and fabric, and to sell some of their surplus fruits. Agnès was not aware of the full details of the current needs of the temple, so she left the errands to the acolytes and spent her time walking through the market browsing at different stalls.

"Your influence on the wind vestal is truly remarkable," came a voice from Edea's right -- the king came to stand next to her, brushing loose grains of sand off his sleeves. "Never would I have imagined the vestal leaving the isolation of her temple for the purpose of recreation, on a cutting-edge modern piece of machinery, no less!"

Edea listened to Khamer's exultant observations of the change in Agnès attitude toward technology with a smile on her face. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. Edea ran up to Agnès and grabbed the vestal by the arm, declaring, "I want to do some sight-seeing! Let's go shopping. Are you coming too, Khamer?"

After a quick calculation muttered under his breath about how much time they had to shop and how much time it would take to get to the castle from here, Khamer decided it would be best to accompany them and head back to the temple directly once they were all done with their errands. At Khamer's recommendation, they found a small boutique and Edea began to look through its offerings. She marveled at the difference between Eternian and Harenan clothing -- while both countries' clothing featured long sleeves and full-length skirts, here, the fabric was so light and thin compared to the heavy, wool-lined boots and leggings of Eternia. Overall, the styles were on the plain side, but there were some things here she could work with.

"Agnès, why don't you try these on?" Edea suggested, shoving a selection of items at her.

"Wh-what?"

"You need better travel clothes!"

"What's wrong with my travel clothes?" Agnès asked, looking down self-consciously at the wide-skirted white dress that she wore now and had worn in Caldisla.

"One never needs an excuse to try on new clothes," Edea said, pushing Agnès toward the changing rooms. "Come on!"

A few minutes later, Edea came out of the changing room, triumphantly presenting Agnès, who trailed behind her. Around her head and shoulders was wrapped a shawl of gauze silk; on her torso she wore a bell-sleeved, embroidered dress, under which she wore trousers and her normal knee-length boots. "What do you think?" Edea asked.

Khamer did not pass up the opportunity to show his admiration. "Very suiting -- what good taste! The colors are very flattering -- what a lovely vision."

At this praise, Agnès flushed, eyes downcast.

"But don't get too attached, because the vestal is already married," Edea said, giving Agnès a wink.

"I am aware of the practice," Khamer said brusquely. Under his breath he added, "Marrying young women to objects! What a backwards... barbaric..."

At least he had said it quietly, but it was loud enough for Edea to hear and she was sorely tempted to cover her face with her hand in frustration.

"So," Agnès continued on, either very brave or having not heard the comment, "I do not want... there is no time for... a romantic relationship..."

"How very --" Khamer seemed to be struggling for a positive word to use. "-- pious."

"Anyway," Edea said, cheerfully changing the subject, "you look great in that, Agnès!"

"Are you sure? The sleeves are a little long..."

"We'll get it altered a bit. Don't worry, I'll pay. It's my gift!" Edea looked in her purse. She didn't have a _lot_ of pg because she hadn't made any money since her assignment to the Sky Knights, but at least living in the Wind Temple had kept her expenses low. As she was digging through her purse for coins, though, Khamer approached the shopkeep and paid for it himself.

"It's my gift, for sight-seeing in Ancheim," he said.

Agnès's measurements were taken, and the clothes were left with the tailor to alter. It would be a few days before the alterations were finished so Khamer volunteered to deliver the clothes to the Temple of Wind at a later date. Very gallant, Edea thought approvingly. Maybe there was hope for Khamer yet.

It was even more promising when, after being delivered back to the temple and waving goodbye to the Timekeeper King, Edea asked Agnès how she had enjoyed the outing to Ancheim.

The wind vestal flushed. "It was... nice."


	9. Chapter 9

Khamer's hovercraft visited the temple four days later. In addition to the tailored clothes tied with paper and string that he delivered to the wind vestal -- who Edea was glad to see flushed a bit when he handed her the parcel -- he also brought two letters, one addressed to Edea and one to Agnès.

"Those arrived for you this morning," Khamer explained. "I thought you might appreciate getting them earlier than if they were left with a courier."

The two women thanked him warmly, and he left.

"So many letters recently," Agnès murmured, breaking the seal. "I wonder who it is from."

It didn't take long for Edea to read her piece of mail. It was a short, to-the-point message from Alternis saying that her mother's health had declined somewhat in the last few weeks and she had been readmitted to the Central Healing Tower. He would keep the _Dark Knight_ docked in Ancheim until sundown tomorrow if she wanted a quick ride home; otherwise, he included a list of ships leaving Ancheim within the next few days that were headed to Gathelatio, from which Edea could make her way to Eternia.

Edea looked up from the letter to tell Agnès that she might need to leave for a few weeks, but to her surprise, Agnès was busy scanning the paper in front of her, red creeping into her cheeks with each passing second.

"Agnès? Are you all right?" Edea asked.

After she finished reading the letter, Agnès folded it up again, her eyes looking up at the sky in thought. She looked down at the piece of paper again, bit her lip, worried at the paper, before finally deciding to offer it to Edea to read. "I do not wish to share his private words with someone else... but I need help -- what should I do?"

 _"His private words"?_ Edea's eyebrows rose. Was it possible the king had already confessed? She unfolded the paper and read:

_Dear Agnès,_

_How are you? Til and I are doing well. That guy said you lived in Harena and could deliver a letter to you for me, so I thought I'd write. I'm glad because it was eating at me, not knowing if we'd ever meet again._

_We only spent a few days together, but I can't stop thinking about you. I've never felt this way about someone before. I can't help but think we had some kind of special connection, like we were meant to meet each other. Even if you don't feel the same way about me, I had to write to you in the hopes you might have felt that same connection and we could meet again someday. It's hard to imagine never seeing you again._

_I apologize if what I've written sounds a bit daft. I'm not usually the kind of person who falls in love so quickly. Or at least I don't think I am? But you made such an impression on me and I knew I'd regret not being able to tell you that._

_Yours truly,  
Tiz Arrior_

When she finished reading, Edea exclaimed approvingly, "Another admirer! You're quite the gentleman-killer, Agnès! But tell me, who is this Tiz Arrior person? I need all the details!"

Agnès for her part did not seem to find the situation as amusing or exciting as Edea did. "He is someone I met in Caldisla. I was trying to get directions to Norende and they seemed quite complicated... But Tiz was on his way back there and offered to show me the way. He and his brother live in Norende raising sheep, and I stayed with them for a few days while I tried to investigate if anything bad had happened in Norende or if anything might happen soon."

"Stayed with him, huh?" Edea said, smirking.

Agnès flushed bright red. "Nothing happened! Before reading this letter, I would have interpreted it as a friendly gesture and nothing more."

"Hm..." was Edea's only reply.

"Please Edea, tell me what I should do." Agnès eyes were pleading.

"Well, you have to reply straightaway, that's for sure."

"But what should I say?"

"If you're worried about hurting his feelings, you shouldn't. Rejection is just part of the game and everyone knows that."

"I... yes, I suppose you are right." Still Agnès hesitated. Edea was familiar with the expression on Agnès's face -- it was the one that said, _"Must I reject him directly, though? Couldn't I just pretend I never got the letter?"_

Seeing Agnès's hesitation, Edea continued, "You're overthinking it. In your case, it should be easy! Tiz had no idea you were a wind vestal, right?"

Agnès nodded.

"So he couldn't have known about your vows, or about your responsibilities to the Wind Temple. Think about it from his perspective: he simply thought you were a traveler -- a very interesting traveler! He didn't realize that being with him would require uprooting your whole lifestyle. You simply have to be honest with him about the impossibility and it saves you from having to bruise his ego. Done!"

"Y-yes..." Agnès seemed unsure at first, but after a moment strengthened her resolve. "Yes, you are right. It is not good to give him false hope. I must be honest and direct."

Having made up her mind to reply as soon as possible, Agnès sat down at her desk after dinner, asking for Edea's assistance with writing nearly every sentence. In the end, she wrote the following letter:

_Dear Tiz,_

_Thank you for your letter. It is good to hear from you._

_I am sorry I was not entirely open with you while I was in Caldisla about who I am. The truth is I am a vestal pledged to the Wind Crystal in Harena. It is my responsibility to continuously watch over and care for the Wind Crystal, which keeps me tied to a particular location of the world. I hope you understand that any kind of involved, long-distance relationship would be simply infeasible._

_I thank you for the kindness and hospitality you showed me while I was in Caldisla. I will certainly not forget you or the kind people I met in my travels._

_Yours,  
Agnès Oblige_

It was only when the letter was finished and sealed -- and the wind vestal noticeably relieved -- that Edea brought up the contents of her own letter and her intention to return to Eternia for a short time to visit her mother. She would leave as soon as was feasible, which was early the next day.

Agnès expressed her condolences and wished health for her mother and a safe journey for Edea. Before they retired for the night, Agnès said, "I am glad to have you for a friend, Edea."

Edea ran to the vestal and hugged her. "I feel the same way, Agnès."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiz finally gets his first mention in the fic, lol.


	10. Chapter 10

Edea headed out from the Wind Temple an hour before dawn. Some of the acolytes came to see her off, giving her some last-minute navigation tips to get to Ancheim as well as advice for fending off monsters that sometimes preyed on lone travelers. Edea made a note to herself to bring some gifts to repay the kindness of the temple dwellers the next time she visited the Wind Temple. Along the way to Ancheim, Edea was attacked by a giant desert snake, but she and Ise-no-kami made quick work of it.

She arrived in Ancheim in the late afternoon and headed to the port where the _Dark Knight_ was docked. The guards recognized her and welcomed her onboard, showing her to a cabin she could use. Alternis Dim was still in Ancheim on some errands, they told her, and hadn't returned yet. Glad that she had made it to the ship on time and tired out from her long walk, Edea collapsed onto the small bed and was soon asleep.

* * *

When Edea awoke, the ship was already in flight. She could hear the distant hum of the engines. She got up and wandered around the ship until she found the mess hall, which was serving a meal in a few hours, at one o'clock in the morning, shortly after one of the nighttime shifts ended. While she waited, Edea killed some time by making her way to the exterior of the upper decks where the night air blew into one's face and one could see the starlit sky above and the dark sea below. From this distance the ocean looked so flat and still.

"It is not wise to stay on the exterior for long periods of time without bringing a coat and blanket."

Edea turned at the familiar, metallic voice. It was Alternis. She stuck her tongue out at him; she was already aware of the dangers of frostbite, having been briefed in airship safety before joining the Sky Knights.

Informing her that they would arrive in Eternia in ten hours at their current speed, Alternis then went off to take up his shift piloting the craft.

Edea wandered around the airship exterior for a few more minutes, breathing in the cold night air before heading to the mess hall and eating dinner, and then going off to sleep again.

* * *

The airship landed outside Eternia late in the morning the next day. Alternis was busy working so Edea rushed on ahead to the Central Healing Tower. She walked as fast as she could; it had been so long since she had seen her mother. Her mother was sitting in bed looking out the window when Edea arrived. Turning away from the window, Mahzer's eyes widened in delighted surprise for a moment before relaxing into a more serene smile. "Edea, you're back! Did you just get in?"

Edea threw her arms around her mother's frame. "Yes -- I'm so happy to see you."

Mahzer tucked a lock of Edea's hair behind her ear. "Alternis keeps me updated on your doings. I hear you've befriended the vestal of wind? And left the service of the Sky Knights?"

Edea nodded and sat in a chair by the bed, clasping and unclasping her hands in her lap nervously.

"That sounds exciting," Mahzer said. Edea was still apprehensive. Perhaps sensing the source of her daughter's anxiety, Mahzer prompted, "Are you going to see your father while you're here?"

"If he has time to see me..."

"Your father always has time to see you," Mahzer assured her.

This was not always true, and in this case Edea hoped it wasn't. She didn't relish the thought of having to see her father right now, and having to explain everything she had done. She knew her father well enough to know he wanted her to do things by the book, to learn the discipline of a soldier before developing the judgment of an officer. And as far as he wanted her to bend those rules, it was to keep the Sky Knights in line, and she could not do that while living in Harena.

Edea instead turned the conversation to talk about happenings in Eternia since she had been gone.

It was after dinner and Mahzer was dozing softly when Alternis came by. Though he had come to visit Mahzer, neither he nor Edea wanted to wake her up, so they were content to talk in quiet voices closer to the hallway. Edea passed along to him the latest update she had gotten from the nurse -- that Mahzer's heart was making some recovery but that they would need to wait a few days to see if it had recovered enough for her to not experience any shortness of breath.

Edea was worried that Alternis might, like her mother, also raise the issue of talking to her father, but to her relief he seemed more keen to talk about the wind vestal and about Edea's experiences living in the Wind Temple.

"A strange thing happened just before I left the temple," Edea said. She told him about the letter Agnès had received, a love declaration from a Caldislan she had met in her short time outside the temple.

"Hm," Alternis said. "I suspected as much."

It was an odd thing to say, and Edea thought he might elaborate more, but seeing that he didn't feel like continuing, she added, "She rejected him, of course."

That got an immediate reply. "What!?" the man cried.

At his sudden outburst, Mahzer stirred in her sleep and both Edea and the nurse on duty simultaneously hissed an urgent "Shhh" at him. Wordlessly, Edea grabbed Alternis's arm and dragged him outside the Central Healing Tower to stand in the snow.

Alternis patiently waited until they were outside to continue his indignant objection. "Rejected him!"

"Yes, turned him down," Edea replied. "Why is that such a surprise?"

"What reason would she have to turn down Tiz Arrior? He is a good man!"

Edea had to struggle to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Uh... the usual reason -- she doesn't have feelings for him??" She went on, "Who is this Tiz Arrior anyway? Why does everyone seem to know him? How do _you_ know him?"

Putting a gauntleted hand on his hip, Alternis said, "I met him while I was gathering information in Caldisla. The two of us got recruited for a wild boar hunt and... that's not important! What is important is that while the wind vestal was in Caldisla, she and he spent quite a bit of time together and grew close. I talked to Tiz Arrior recently, and she was the only thing he could think about."

Edea put her hand over her mouth to cover her amused smile. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news," she said, "but it wasn't the same on Agnès's side. Until the letter came, I have to say she never mentioned him once." _And it wasn't for a lack of prying on my part_ , she thought to herself. She continued, "Just because a man likes a woman doesn't mean she is obligated to return those feelings, you know."

"I... That's not what I meant!"

Edea cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. "In any case I'm surprised you're so keen to set those two up. I thought you were against meddling in people's love lives?"

"Meddling? I did nothing except agree to deliver a letter that had already been written. But if you must know my reason for being invested, it is simply this: that it would be very convenient for the Duchy if the wind vestal developed ties outside the Wind Temple... ties strong enough to motivate her to retire."

_Ah so that's it._ From what Edea knew, this would trigger a replacement for Agnès to be selected by some kind of Crystalist authority in Florem. But in the meantime... the Duchy could and would certainly take advantage of the chaos. "Be invested if you like," Edea said, "but you're being a bit optimistic if you think Agnès would retire as a wind vestal for some random swineherd in Caldisla --"

"Shepherd," Alternis corrected brusquely.

"Whatever," Edea said. "Agnès takes her responsibilities seriously and wouldn't pursue a relationship outside Harena that requires her to give them up."

It was Alternis's turn to express puzzlement. "Strange," he said, putting a gauntleted hand to his chin, "I was so sure you would find the situation romantic. Two people having a brief but memorable encounter -- I had thought you would leap at the opportunity to bring them closer together. Unless..." Suddenly his voice dropped away as the realization hit him. "Edea... You're not -- Are you already trying to set the wind vestal up with someone else?!"

Edea's only answer was a slight smile.

"Damn it, Edea! What schemes are you plotting in Harena?! If it involves the wind vestal, your father will surely want to know about it."

Edea's smile disappeared at the mention of her father. She had not thought of that. Moreover, Alternis's comment reminded her that it was presumably only because the dark knight had successfully smoothed things over with her father that she had been allowed to stay and do as she liked in Harena. Reluctantly, Edea had to admit that it was worth talking to her father while she was in Eternia, unless she wanted to have that license revoked suddenly.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him," Edea promised. Inwardly, she thought to herself: _Easier said than done._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, one of the Shameless Wish Fulfillment aspects of this fanfic is that I get to have Alternis and Edea interact as much as I like. And write Alternis being shouty. It's fun~


End file.
